


Light

by Paige_Turner36



Series: Baelfire Lives [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 3x19 Fix-It, AU season 3, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anti-Herocrites, Baelfire lives, Episode: s03e19 A Curious Thing, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Multi, Not Snowing or Regina friendly, Romance, The Dark Castle (Once Upon a Time), True Love, True Love's Kiss, au season 3b
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-12 23:49:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14738114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paige_Turner36/pseuds/Paige_Turner36
Summary: 3x19 Fix-It. Belle, Neal and the Heroes sneak into the Dark Castle to find Rumple.





	Light

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually part of a two parter “Baelfire Lives”, and as the name suggests, it’s an AU where Neal/Bae didn’t die in 3x15 to resurrect Rumple, but this one flowed faster and Rumple's mad rantings just poured out.
> 
> Mentions of Golden Queen and Wicked Gold in romantic context - both anti! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT. This is for fun and not for profit.

With Robin Hood keeping guard outside, Belle, Neal, Snow White, Prince Charming and Regina entered the dining room. And there he was. Not in the dungeon. Not in the West Wing. There, in the middle of the room where their love was born was Rumplestiltskin… imprisoned. And not just imprisoned, but put on display like a freak circus attraction. Belle had been prepared for a lot of terrible things, but not the sight of her True Love sitting in a cage. They all stopped dead at the sight of what Rumplestiltskin had been reduced to. The only home comfort in his four wall prison was the spinning wheel. 

Rumple sat hunched in the shadows over the wheel. He didn’t look up, just watching it spin, lost in his own head and muttering to himself. “Spin to forget, to forget, to forget… Spin to forget, to forget, to forget…”

Belle’s heart sank. Rumple always used to spin to calm his soul, to help him think and to forget past hurts and the awful things he’d done. What had happened to him between his resurrection and now? What fresh horrors had been inflicted on him that he wanted to erase it from his memory? What had Zelena done to him? What had she made him do?

“Rumplestiltskin…” said Snow in shock as Belle tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Rumple tittered darkly to himself, the memory of that sound beautiful and painful all at once. “Rumple Bumple isn’t here. Rumple Bumple gone, my dear.”

Belle’s heart broke for him. But Regina, like Snow, was more focused on the fact that Rumple was alive than his captivity and disturbed mind. “He really _is_ back from the dead!” she exclaimed with delight, staring at her former teacher/frenemy through the bars.

“Dead… dead…” Rumple mumbled in a low, serious voice, raising haunted eyes to glare at them, pointing a taloned finger at them, “so much better… _dead_!”

Belle and Neal looked uncomfortably at each other. It was their fault. He’d been at peace and they ripped him out of heaven. Or just traded him one hell for another.

“He’s lost his mind,” Charming muttered beside her.

Neal tore his gaze from his father briefly to glare at Charming. “Can you blame him?” he said angrily.

“You feed the madness and it feeds on you,” Rumple sang to himself as he spun. “You feed the madness and it feeds on you… You feed the madness and it feeds on you.”

“What is she doing to him?” Belle asked. He may be talking nonsense but there was sense in the nonsense. He seemed to know who they were and what was going on around him, so he wasn’t past the point of no return.

“Nothing that can’t be undone,” said Snow impatiently, raising her voice to the man who’d saved their lives, “Rumplestiltskin, we need your help. How do we stop Zelena?”

The demand was the straw that broke the camel’s back and snapped his wits. Rumple let out a cackle of mad laughter, flapping his hands together with enthusiasm at reaching the end of his tether. “‘Rumplestiltskin, help us!’” Rumple mimicked her in a high pitched, hysterical voice. “‘Gold, we need your help!’. ‘Help! Help! We’re dying, can you save us?’. Heroes, save me from the witch! Ask for his help, then we’ll _ditch_!”

Everyone except Belle and Neal flinched at that, but partly because they were so in shock.

“Well done, Snow. I think you’ve _broken_ him,” said Neal.

“Heroes, Heroes, can you save me? No, we need Rumplestiltskin! Save us, Power Behind the Throne. Save the Saviour on your own! Heroes, save us, lest we fall! Rumplestiltskin, save us all!” As fast as the decent into madness and rhyming started, it drained out of him as Rumple returned to his monotonous spinning, no longer amused. “Save yourselves.”

“This is pointless, he’s lost it,” said Regina, unaffected by Rumple’s suffering.

Well, maybe they were willing to give up on Rumple after everything he’d done for them – just as Rumple knew they would – but Belle wasn’t.

“Let me try,” she said. Belle approached the cage, trying to catch Rumple’s eyes. “Hey,” she said softly. 

But Rumple ducked his head lower, shaking it a little, his curtains of curly hair hiding his face, refusing to look at her. Afraid too. 

“Hey. Rumple.” Belle reached through the bars to take his hand. Why didn’t she think to take her glove off? But she really had to grip it because at the barest touch Rumple recoiled, dragging Belle with him as she clung on. “Hey, hey! It’s okay.” Rumple never flinched at her touch before. But he was gripping her hand tightly, that was good right? Did some part of him know she was there? Why won’t he look at her? “Rumple, it’s me, Belle.”

At her name, Rumple froze, stopping the wheel. His grasp loosened, softened, to the familiar one she knew. His gaze wandered from the wheel down to the hand he was holding. There he was! Belle felt it through her glove. It was the small gesture, barely noticeable to anyone but her, but his thumb was stroking her! Tenderly, lovingly over the back of her hand as he held it firm and soft all at once. Testing to see if she was real. Gods, she missed him. There was still hope. They were together.

Slowly he raised his head to look at her. Belle smiled brightly. But far from looking pleased to see her, Rumple glared at her, his lip twitching with repressed rage.

“How dare you?” Rumple said with a low growl.

Belle’s smile faded. “What?”

Rumple lunged forward, gripping the bars, rattling in his fury. “STOP IT! YOU’RE NOT HER!”

Belle jumped, but couldn’t move very far even if she’d wanted to as Rumple was now crushing her hand. “R-Rumple?” she stammered.

“How dare you insult her by wearing her face! It’s not going to work! Leave me alone!”

Now it made sense! Rumple thought she was Zelena masquerading as her, much like Pan’s shadow in Neverland. “No, Rumple, I’m real. I’m Belle. Your Belle.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” said Rumple in a cracked whisper. “Haven’t you done enough? This is a trick. She sent you to trick me.”

“I’m real. I promise. I’m right here.”

“You always say that,” said Rumple sadly, hopelessness clouding his eyes, as they stared into the distance. “She’s far away. She’s far, far away from me.”

So he’d been imagining her too.

“She’s right here in front of you,” said Belle, moving closer. “I can prove it. Ask me something only I would know.”

“You already have, remember? I had no choice but to tell you. You know _everything_. Words mean nothing. Lies are words, words and words.”

“Then I’ll have to use actions.” Belle leaned closer. “Do you love Zelena?” She nearly gagged just asking the question.

Rumple laughed his mad impish laugh. It would’ve been funny if the circumstances were different. “I’d rather poke my eyes out with a rusty poker, thank you very much! Me and the Green? Me and the Queen? Bleh!” he gagged dramatically, sticking his tongue out. “Oh! No offense, Imaginary Constructs,” he added, waving vaguely in Regina’s direction.

But far from looking offended, Regina just looked relieved, raising her hands, “No, no, I’m with you.”

Belle ignored her. “Do you love Belle?”

Rumple’s face softened a little. “Of course I do,” he whispered.

“So if I was really Zelena and I kiss you, True Love’s Kiss wouldn’t work. If you aren’t cursed anymore she can’t control you, can she?”

“No Dark One, no slave. What a tender world that would be?”

“I can free you right now, Rumple. I can get you away from her. I can bring you home.”

“ _No_!” Rumple moaned, shaking his head, shrinking in on himself, trying to protect himself from this delusion. Because it was too good to be true. “No. No help. No home. No hope. No light. No love... No _Belle_.” His voice broke on her name.

“I’m here, my love. Believe in us and we can go back. If that’s what you want. To be free of Zelena, of this cage, of this curse.” She wouldn’t make the same mistake as before. No matter how badly she wanted to set him free, she wouldn’t take the choice away from him. Zelena had done enough of that already and Belle certainly hated other people deciding her fate. Rumple respected that, so should she. If Rumple wanted to free himself with True Love’s Kiss, it had to be his choice and not just to get out of this cage. “Come back to me, please,” she choked. She couldn’t help it. She just wanted him back.

Tears fell down Belle’s face. That wasn’t right. His hallucinations of Belle had never cried before. They laughed at him, scorned him, yelled at him, told him who could ever love such a hideous beast. And Zelena was beyond such emotion, unless she didn’t get what she wanted like the child that she was. And yet here she was. Crying tears. And all he wanted was to take them away. Rumple tenderly wiped her tears away. But that made Belle sob harder and lean into his touch. She felt so warm and solid. He could smell her perfume and that scent that was all his Belle. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face to see her blue eyes.

“Belle?”

Belle nodded, unable to speak. Rumple’s breath hitched. Without another thought, in sync, they kissed. A sweet, gentle kiss, much like their first kiss. Rumple moaned in ecstasy and longing. And just like before, some fucking magic happened, starting at his lips.

“ _Light_ ,” Rumple breathed blissfully, as if hit by a ray of purest sunlight.

“Rumple?” Belle said. Could it be…?

Then Rumple opened his eyes, soft brown once more and smiled. “K-kiss me again! It’s working!” he said in his beautiful brogue.

Belle needed no further encouragement, but pulled him into a kiss and the change happened faster, the scales peeling back, leaving tanned skin behind.

“Well, how about that,” said Regina, smiling at them.

The Charmings looked dumbfounded.

“I can’t believe it,” said Snow as if her eyes were deceiving her.

“They are True Love,” said Charming incredulously.

“Did you ever doubt it?” said Neal, grinning at this display. “It’s the most powerful magic of all.”

By now Rumple’s face was fully human as he and Belle held each other awkwardly through the bars. He looked so happy and at peace. But suddenly the scales started to creep back. Rumple whimpered in panic and distress, pulling Belle closer and Belle, sensing either the change or his urgency, deepened the kiss, pouring every ounce of love they could, while his face shifted from skin to scales, until –

BANG!

Rumple was thrown backwards with a scream of pain, clutching his heart. “No, no, no, no, no. no, no, no!” he sobbed, gripping his hair and rocking backwards and forwards.

“Rumple!” Belle cried, massaging her own chest, having received the same pain. “Are you okay?”

“Useless, worthless, pathetic, weak, coward, villain, monster, beast, pet, slave –” Rumple half cursed half sobbed fluently until every insult ever thrown at him in 300 years, including a few Belle had never heard of before, blurred together. He only stopped when Belle took his hand, in which it was replaced with whispered “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” as he clung to her hand like a lifeline.

“What happened? It was working.”

“Curse… Witch… Never free, won’t let me be, no happy ending for me!”

“Zelena must’ve stopped him,” said Neal joining her to check on his father. “If she has the dagger she could’ve seen his name disappearing.”

“Bad Rumple, bad Rumple, bad Rumple…”

“Then she’s already on the way,” said Regina. “Rumple, if you wanna get out of that cage, help us! How do we stop Zelena?”

“Regina!” said Belle angrily as Rumple went fetal at them mention of Zelena, ceasing his rambling.

“It’s why we came here.”

“Papa,” Neal whispered, crouching beside the cage. “It’s me, Papa.”

Rumple raised his head. “Bae?”

“We’re gonna get you out of here. I promise. We _will_ stop Zelena. But we don’t know how. She’s gotta have a weakness?”

“Light,” Rumple whispered. 

“Light?” said Belle joining them, the heroes and Regina forgotten.

“Light magic,” said Rumple clearly. “The Good Witch of the South… Glinda.”

“Glinda. And South of… what? Oz?”

“No!” said Rumple urgently. “Banished! Here! The Good Witch of the South was banished north. North of the Dark Forest.”

“How do we find her?” Snow demanded. “Rumplestiltskin, in the Dark Forest, how do we find her?”

“Through the door, step inside, if pure of heart then she won’t hide,” Rumple sang, resigned.

Regina rolled her eyes. “Let’s go.” She turned to leave with a swish of her fur coat.

Belle shook her head. “I can’t leave him. Not again.”

“Belle, he’s dangerous, look what he did to your hand!” said Snow.

Rumple whimpered, taking Belle’s hand, the one he had almost crushed, and kissed it better, patting it tenderly.

“He’s not in control,” said Charming, more gently than his wife. “And he’s under orders to kill you.”

“I’m staying,” said Belle firmly. “It’s my fault he’s here. And we’ve been separated too often, for too long. And it’s not fair! So you all can go but I’m staying with him.”

“No!” Rumple shouted, taking Neal’s hand too. “Safe, safe, must keep safe! Heart and blood must stay safe!”

“We will, Papa,” Neal assured him. “I’ll keep her safe. We’ll keep each other safe.”

Rumple nodded, looking relived. “Good boy. Brave boy. My boy. My Bae.”

“I love you. I’m so sorry. I was so desperate to get back to Emma and Henry. I messed up. I did this to you. Papa, I’m sorry.”

“Ssh, ssh,” Rumple shook his head, patting his son’s cheek. “Worth the pain, to see you again.” He flinched suddenly, his breath quickening. “Something wicked this way comes!”

Zelena was almost upon them.

“Belle, I’m sorry,” said Neal.

Belle nodded tearfully. What wouldn’t she give to be in Rumple’s place? What wouldn’t she give to stay here with him? But she knew they wouldn’t let her stay. Not even Rumple. But maybe she didn’t have to go entirely. If she couldn’t stay she could leave part of herself with him. Something small. Something to remind him of her. To give him strength and keep him going. Until they were together again.

Belle reached up and unclasped her necklace.

“Hey! Hey, Rumple!” Belle reached into the wooden cage and took his hand – no, Rumple _gave_ it to her. “Take this.” He watched in wonder as she eased his fingers open and placed the pearl necklace inside, closing them around it, forcing him to take it whether he wanted to or not, though the firmness in his grip told her that he did. “No matter how alone or scared you are, I’ll always be with you. I love you so much. That will never change. We will be together again. I promise.”

She didn’t know how but she would get him out of here. She will free him from that Wicked Witch.

Rumple took a piece of spun golden straw for the wheel and fashioned it into a gold ring. He too her hand and slips the ring delicately on to her wedding finger. “Deal,” he muttered reverently.

Belle eyes widened, Neal looked stunned and the others looked as flabbergasted as they had been watching them share True Love’s Kiss. Did Rumple just… _propose_ to her? Belle felt like crying. For one brief moment, there’s clarity. The imp had retreated, the madness fled and for a moment he was her Rumple and for that moment they’d managed to make a deal they both knew they’d keep. She was going to see that he was free of this or he was going to break free and come back to her. And that was enough. For both of them.

Suddenly she felt Neal’s hands on her shoulders, gently urging her away, but also comforting her. Rumple and Belle kept their eyes on each other as she was led further and further away.

Each with a piece of their True Love.

A reminder of the promise they _will_ keep.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Robin Hood doesn’t have a speaking part in this but he didn’t have one in the original scene, so I gave him the important role of lookout.


End file.
